Trapping Sasuke
by Fields of Summer
Summary: "You built that trap, didn't you?" / A story about Naruto awkwardly trying to show how desperately he wishes for Sasuke to stay.
1. Prologue

I do not own Naruto!

* * *

Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke were floating peacefully amongst thick, white clouds. The air around them felt crisp, easy to breathe and the sky was bluer than the ocean of a photo shopped screensaver.

Both of his friends were feeding him ramen, with huge smiles plastered on their faces. Sasuke told him how perfect he was, Sakura just gave him food. Just as it should be. They would smile at him until the end of time. Life was pretty good.

"HEY! DOBE!"

Naruto watched in mortification as the blue sky and the fluffy clouds began to crumble around him. His friend's faces turned distant and distorted.

"WAKE UP YOU IDIOT!"

"ugghhh..."

Naruto groaned as consciousness slowly made its way back into his body. The last stripe of clear blue left his mind, but entered his eyes as he opened them and blinked up at the stars.

"DOBE!"

Suddenly annoyed at the voice that had interrupted his very pleasant and reasonable dream, he turned his head to glare in the direction of the teme. But his sleeping bag was empty.

"Stupid dobe. I'm over here." Sasuke hissed from a different direction. Naruto turned and narrowed his eyes to see into the dark forest. _Shit._ There he was, dangling up side down in a tree.

Naruto cursed and crawled out of his warm sleeping bag, then ran towards the furious, trapped boy. He brought out his kunai and cut the rope that kept him up in the air. Sasuke crashed to the ground but quickly got up on his feet and stared at the blond with a disbelieving look. Naruto tensed uncomfortably.

"Did this trap set up itself or something? I checked the trees and grounds yesterday. There were no traps!" Sasuke seemed to focus and then scanned the area for any unknown chakra sources, but there were none. "Who could have put this here?"

Naruto couldn't bring himself to look the black haired boy in the eyes. So instead, he stared intently at the trees behind him. It was nice to look at trees. Also very normal and calm and innocent and settled.

"Maybe someone put it up there while we were sleeping." Naruto mumbled. He began fiddling with his hands. He had always found it difficult to act normal in situations like these. Lying had never been one of his best abilities.

"No way, I would have sensed their chakra." Sasuke retorted and gave Naruto a calculating look. Naruto turned his gaze downward quickly and felt the panic rise inside him. Why was he looking at him like that? _Maybe he knew._ It felt like he was looking right through him and he could probably see how pathetically possessive and weird he was. Shitshitshit.

"Whatever." Sasuke said after a few seconds of silence. Relieved, Naruto looked up to see the other boys back as he walked deeper into the forest. "Where are you going?" Naruto asked as another wave of panicky feelings rushed over him.

Sasuke turned around and finally, they stared right into each other's eyes. "Where the fuck do you think?"

Naruto winced and he could feel the emotions intensify and suddenly showing in his eyes, he couldn't hide it. Panic, sadness, betrayal.

Sasuke kept his look indifferent as he walked up to Naruto, he stopped a mere meter in front of him and kept his gaze focused on the blond.

"Where the fuck do you think?" He asked again. Something flickered in Sasukes eyes. Like lightning suddenly shooting out of a dark cloud. Naruto looked down once more.

"How would I know?" He mumbled to the ground.

"You wouldn't, obviously. But where would you think?" Sasuke asked calmly. Naruto tried to come up with a clever response to that question, but all he could think of was_ 'somewhere far away where there is a really bad guy you have to kill? Can I please come with you?' _

"Are y-" Was all Naruto could get out before the words got stuck in his throat, he coughed and then laughed nervously. Sasuke looked a little inpatient.

"What?"

The blonde lowered his head and began to fiddle with his fingers again. He tried to brace himself. Finally, Naruto looked up into the dark unreadable eyes.

"Are you leaving?"

At first, Sasuke looked confused. He eyebrows knitted together and he stared at his friend in a disbelieving way. But then, after a while – his expression changed. He seemed to relax and suddenly his face lighted up in a smirk. Naruto felt shocked and mortified and … what the fuck? He had no right to smirk at him in a moment like this!

"You built that trap, didn't you?" Sasuke asked in a teasing way. He looked down expectantly at the smaller boy, obviously enjoying the devastation suddenly showing in his eyes.

Naruto immediately blushed and seriously considered running away in a random direction. Oh crap. Sasuke had realized. He pointed towards the trap for some reason.

"That one? No!" He said and snorted artificially. He noticed that his hand was trembling and quickly put it down to cover any signs of weakness.

"Sakura probably did it! To catch … animals … you know … to eat!" Naruto blurted and kept a fake smile up.

"Why would we need animals to eat?" Sasuke was looking cocky and superior like he already had it all figured out. "-When we have plenty of food left, and we're leaving first thing in the morning?"

"Yeah but what if …" Naruto began. But after a few seconds of thinking about some way to to explain the unexplainable, all he could get out was "ngghh"

He slumped his shoulders and began pouting at the ground, feeling humiliated and defeated.

"Did you actually set that up in case I were to leave?" Sasuke asked with a curious tone to his voice. Naruto expected him to mock him or laugh evilly at his pathetic attempt of keeping him close. But he was just smirking and looking amused. Naruto felt small and a bit scared looking up into those dark eyes.

"Erm ... no! I mean ... why would I- ..." Naruto tried, scanning through his brain for a good response. He opened his mouth a few times with another lame excuse at the tip of his tongue before coming to the conclusion that there was no way to cover this up. Hopefully Sasuke had already found out the truth in his guilty-looking eyes and wouldn't be too shocked about it.

"Fine. Yeah ... I guess I did, but- but only because you already left once, bastard!" He finished, feeling that same betrayal he did the day when he searched every nook and cranny of the village for a Sasuke who wasn't there.

"Dobe, I just had to take a piss." He said, frowning down at the slightly angry-looking blonde. "I'm not going anywhere. No more traps."

Naruto felt his cheeks redden again before he "hmph-ed" and diverted his gaze back to his sleeping bag and Sakura sleeping peacefully by the campfire.

"Sure, teme. I'll just- I'll go back to the camp." He said, pouting a bit before beginning to walk the shameful way back to his orange sleeping bag. He could make out the dull sound of footsteps as Sasuke walked deeper into the forest. He watched the stars twinkle, not being able to fall sleep until after he picked up the sound of him returning.


	2. Carried away

I do not own Naruto!

* * *

Naruto stuck his tongue out in concentration as he tied the thin wire firmly to the tall tree. He fiddled a bit with the knot to make sure it was tight enough, then he ran back to hide behind the green, blooming bushes. His evil master plan would go down perfectly.

Naruto grinned in anticipation at the sound of his friends footsteps getting louder. _Soon._ Naruto thought and smiled wickedly like a villain finally stabbing his knife into the hero's heart. _Soon,_ they would both trip on the wire and fall straight down into the deep hell-hole. It was a perfectly executed trap.

They were straight in front of his hiding spot now. Naruto felt excitement build up inside him. Just a few more steps ... and BAM! Sasuke's foot got caught in the wire, making him stumble forward.

Naruto noticed a surprised expression before he fell face-first down into the dirty pit, previously hidden beneath leafs and twigs. Sakura didn't even seem to notice his fall until she too fell, mid-sentence, right into her own grave.

Naruto grinned evilly and rushed up to the huge hole. He couldn't wait to see the priceless expressions on his friend's faces. He peaked his head over the edge to take a look.

At first he couldn't see much, the dust was thick and he waited impatiently for it to settle. His eyes widened once he could see the two forms at the bottom of the pit. They both looked shocked, indeed. But tangled together closely in a very unpleasant … way-too-close way! Naruto's smile faltered and his eyebrows knitted together in an irritated frown. Ugh … this had not been part of his plan! Stupid trap!

The blonde considered briefly if he could get away with locking Sasuke into a chamber, and hire a few guards to patrol the entrance. This would effectively keep him away from Sakura until the end of time. _Hmm ... Sasuke might get angry with me though ..._ Naruto though before he collected himself and grinned down the hole.

"Gotcha!" He yelled down to his friends, waving happily. Sasuke rolled his eyes at him and muttered something along the lines of "what an idiot". Sakura turned around and glared at him with flushed cheeks. Naruto desperately wished for them to separate.

"You're crushing Sasuke!"

Sakura blushed even more and quickly rose to rearrange her clothes. She looked up at him again.

"It's your fault! You build the stupid trap! Wait … are you calling me fat!?" Sakura spat back at him with a furious yet flushed look on her face.

"Uh … of course not Sakura-chaan." Naruto retorted with a grin. Perhaps she was beginning to get a bit rounded though? Naruto sure had a much nicer body than she did! Wait, was he actually comparing his body to a girls!? Sasuke had gotten up now as well, and was brushing the dust off of his clothes.

Naruto couldn't help but gulp as he watched Sasuke press his palms tightly to his body and then slide them downwards, tensing his muscular arms and illuminating the firm stomach beneath.

God, Sasuke was so hot. He'd really like to touch him that way himself - preferably without any clothes though. He snapped out of his thoughts when he noticed Sakura's calculating expression. He quickly flashed an innocent grin and wiped the drool of his chin.

"Now, time for you to get out of there!" Naruto yelled down the hole. He turned his head around and gave the thumbs up sign in the direction of the bushes.

The earth beneath his two trapped friends began to shake violently. Sakura turned to look at Sasuke with a terrified expression and then up at Naruto like she was about to cry. Naruto grinned inwardly._  
_

"What's happening!? NARUTO!"

Half a second later, the entire pit turned inside out of itself and sand shot up of it like water out of a geyser.

Naruto watched his two friends sear though the air before he collapsed to the ground himself, laughing until tears streamed down his cheeks. Gaara calmly walked out from behind the bushes with a bored look on his face.

"That was a good one, Gaara!" Naruto said happily once his ability to breathe had returned. Gaara had obviously helped him with the trap, there was no way he could dig a hole that big by himself!

"Stupid … dobe" Sasuke hissed from where he laid. There was something off about the way he said it. It sounded repressed, almost like he was choking it out. Naruto turned towards his two friends.

Sasuke was still lying sprawled on the ground. Sakura was above him, her knees on either side of his waist. She looked down at him with wide eyes. Instantly, Naruto felt jealous. Why was she on top of him like that? He knew she liked her, but not that much! And why wasn't Sasuke pushing her away?

Maybe they liked each other. That would be horrible! He slouched together and entered his pout-mode. Gaara tried to give him sympathetic look, but ended up looking more like he would shit himself. Naruto shivered but smiled back sadly at his friend before returning his gaze to Sasuke.

What he saw made ice suddenly travel down his spine. Sakura had bent down and kissed him. How random was that!? Naruto felt sick, he wanted to puke but he couldn't even get air down his lungs.

For some reason, he was suddenly running towards them.

His hands moved on their own accord, pushing her away from him with all the force he could muster. She flew off of him and landed in a heap on the dirty ground, her sudden impact creating a cloud of dust that seemed to roar around her. She breathed heavily and stared at him in rage, and – surprisingly, something akin to fear.

"What the hell are you doing!?" She shouted and immediately got up on her feet to rush back to Sasuke who was lying motionless on the ground.

"But he doesn't like you that way!" Naruto tried desperately and reached his hands out to push her away.

"His not breathing!"

Naruto stilled and stared down at the boy in horror. His eyelids were shut. His skin had a deathly pale tone. His lips were parted slightly but no air seemed to be dragged in. Naruto's arms relaxed and fell down to the ground beside him.

Everything that happened next seemed as if in slow motion. Sakura was back at Sasuke's mouth, forcing her air down his lungs and keeping his nose pinched with her fingers. Crimson red seeped out from beneath Sasuke, trickling closer to Naruto who backed away from it – horrified.

Hands were pressed against Sasuke's chest and pushed down rhythmically, but no draw of breath could be heard at the efforts. More voices reached his ears and rushing footsteps appeared around him until he was pulled to the side.

What's happening? Naruto thought. He felt like he was in a strange dream were nothing made sense. Why was there blood everywhere? He stared at the people that had now created a small crowd around Sasuke's limp body. Sakura and Kakashi were on their knees on either side of him, both trying to bring him back to life. His gaze met with Ino's who had turned around to look at him.

"Wha- what's … going on?" He stuttered, blue eyes teary and mouth gaping like a fish struggling for oxygen.

"His dying!" She yelled before she got down on her knees in front of his slouched, defeated-looking body, grabbing his shoulders and shaking him harshly.

"What the fuck were you thinking? Didn't you see the rock?" she spat, black eyeliner smudged around her sage-green eyes.

"But …" He began, eyes flickering fearfully between the circle of people and the crying blonde girl before him. "It was … it was just a prank!"

In the following moment, both of them looked back at the crowd as a heavy cough was heard from within the circle.

That was Sasuke's cough. All else but the thought of Sasuke being _alive_ left his mind. He rose up, pushed Ino to the side, and dashed towards his best friend. He pushed his way through the people around him until he was seated right next to the wounded boy, facing him from above.

The blood had created a puddle around him. Shoes and pants of the crowd were stained red as they trampled and knelt down in the blood of his beloved friend.

He heard him take a ragged breath and it was one of most beautiful sounds he had ever heard. He wanted to touch him and laugh with him and make everything okay again. Sasuke's eyes moved behind his closed eyelids until they finally opened.

He stared into the starry night sky that was his eyes and let his tears fall down onto his cheeks. They trickled down his face and mixed with the dark, almost black blood on the ground.

In the next moment Kakashi and Iruka carefully picked up Sasuke's body. The black haired boy's eyes shut close and his head fell back before Sakura reached out to hold it up. Naruto noticed the rock that had cut in to his friend's back. It was sharp, and it must have gotten deep. _Stupid trap._


	3. I made it all by myself

I do not own Naruto!

* * *

Naruto clutched nervously to the gift in his hands as he walked along the never-ending corridors. On the entire way from his apartment to the hospital – the rain had been pouring down on him. Naruto hated it. He would have preferred the sun to shine and the birds to chirp.

It was like he was designed to live in sunshine, but whenever clouds blocked the path of the light rays – he lost his glamour. Rainy days and clouds - that was Sasuke's thing. He looked great in rain, darkness and all that.

Maybe Sasuke would find it easier to forget about the whole troublesome incident if Naruto walked in to his room looking like a greek god, sun shining on his perfectly contoured face and rainbows appearing in the background.

That was unlikely though, as he currently looked like shit. His eyes were dull and his hair was drenched and a little bit on the dark side. His clothes clenched to his body uncomfortably and his shoes squeaked as they rubbed against the floor with each step.

The small present he was carrying had been soaked. It looked just as pathetic as himself. It was covered in green wrapping paper with the words "Merry christmas" scattered across it. Naruto sighed. He wasn't rich like Sasuke, and wrapping paper was actually rather expensive!

Finally, after whirring back and forth the corridors for what felt like hours, he found Sasuke's room. He felt small with the huge white door in front of him.

He stared at the door for a moment, briefly considering turning around, running home and uglycry for the rest of the day. He shook the thoughts away before finally reaching a trembling hand out to knock on the door. He felt lightheaded and nauseous. 'You can do this. Be a man!' He thought. Almost immediately, he heard the familiar voice of Sasuke coming from the other side of the door.

"Come in."

Naruto pushed down the handle slowly and hesitantly entered the clinically white room. The air smelled of antiseptic and something acidy. He glanced at Sasuke who was lying on a bed by the window at the end of the room. He was on his back, his gaze fixed at the ceiling.

The rain was still showering down and smattering against the window. But Naruto could see that far, far away there seemed to be an end to the massive cloud. Or at least it wasn't as thick over there, because the sun almost shone through.

"Hey, its me." He said finally. Managing to sound a bit more confident than he actually was. Sasuke turned and met his gaze, looking indifferent. He eventually nodded and then reverted his gaze to the ceiling.

"You alright?" Naruto asked, making his way up to the bed and sitting down on a chair next to his bedside table, still looking like a drowned cat.

"Of course I'm alright." He hissed back, narrowing his eyes a bit. Naruto would have rolled his eyes if it wasn't for the frustration he felt. Of course Sasuke would think that not being alright was a sign of weakness.

"Look, I- ... I really didn't mean for that to happen, and I'm really sor-"

"I told you, I'm fine! No need for apologies." Sasuke interrupted, looking at Naruto with an annoyed expression. "Just shut up you idiot."

He looked down at his knees quickly. "But ... I feel so bad." Naruto's lip began to tremble and he clenched to the present in his hands, obviously trying to hold back tears.

Sasuke's angry expression disappeared and was replaced with a deep frown. "Don't cry."

"I'm not." He looked back at him and tried to flash a grin, but felt to his mortification how a lone tear made its way down his face. "I, um … got something in my eye before, like ... a fly or something." He stuttered out and wiped the tear away quickly, trying to calm himself and not actually begin to sob in front of the boy. _Gosh, could even get farther from a greek god by now?_

"Uhm ... I forgive you." He said eventually, looking expectantly at the blonde. Naruto's sad expression faded until all that was left was the small tears in his eyes.

"Thanks." He said and then smiled. "I got you something."

He reached the present out to Sasuke who took it hesitantly. "Open it!"

Sasuke kept staring at the blonde for a while, looking confused at the quick changes in Naruto's moods. He then slowly began to pull at the wrapping until all that was left was a small cardboard box. Naruto widened his eyes enthusiastically.

"Go on! Open it already!" Sasuke opened up the box, and brought out a small, mashed, red cupcake. Everything about it was red, even the topping. The blonde actually chuckled at the shocked expression he received. He obviously hadn't expected that.

"It's tomato flavored!" Naruto practically yelled and his voice cracked a little at the end, but his eyes beamed. "Try it!"

He wasn't sure but he thought he could see a tiny smile settle onto Sasuke's lips. He hesitantly brought the cupcake up to his mouth and took a small bite. The base of it crumbled a bit when he bite into it, and the topping looked firm and it had a slight crisp. Just as Naruto had thought he would like it.

He chewed for a while and furrowed his brows. It looked like he tried to sharpen his senses to really locate the flavor like it was some kind of fine wine. Naruto rolled his eyes and chuckled. When he was done chewing he brought his tongue out to lick his lips. Naruto stared mesmerized at the movements of his tongue. It was almost as red as the cupcake, and it looked really soft … and wet and …

"Actually, it's quite nice … thank you." Sasuke said and Naruto quickly brought his eyes back to meet the boy's. He smiled and cyan eyes sparkled. He felt happy and giggly. An idea suddenly popped into his mind and he couldn't help himself.

"Thought you'd like it," He began "I actually found the tomatoes in a bag left by the road, so I'm glad they taste okay." He said carelessly but grinned inwardly. Sasuke's eyes widened in horror and he spat the remains of it out. He began clawing at his tongue to scrub any left over bits off.

"DOBE! That's disgusting!" He said and quickly grabbed a glass of water from his bedside table and gurgled it before spitting the water back. "I think I'm going to be sick."

Naruto laughed hysterically while Sasuke stuck his tongue out again and kept rubbing it to get everything off.

"Relax! I'm just kidding!" He said as he tried to brace himself and stop laughing. "You should have seen your face, priceless!" He continued to giggle while watching Sasuke's tongue retreat back into his mouth and the horror turn into a relieved yet annoyed expression.

"hmph" His face slowly became a shade redder and he was obviously trying to hide any signs of embarrassment. "Not funny." He put the cupcake on the bedside table and glared at the amused boy.

"Sorry, I just couldn't resist." He said and looked at Sasuke. He received a tiny smile and grinned back.

"So, when are you getting out of here?"

"Tomorrow, I think. They said the wound would be completely healed by then." He said and then seemed to concentrate for a moment, then frowned before he began to speak. "There's something I have to ask you."

Naruto immediately tensed. He was sure it was something he wouldn't want to answer. Like … where he had found the sugar to Sasuke's cupcake.

It was something entirely different though. It was the worst and most horrifying question he could ever ask.

"Why did you push Sakura away from me while she was trying to help me?"


	4. Never have I ever

I do not own Naruto!

* * *

Naruto thought of three options.

_Option nr. 1._ "I got jealous because I love you."

_Option nr. 2._ "Because you deserve someone better then her … like me!"

_Option nr. 3._ "I don't know, but **I do know** that you're the hottest guy in Konoha. Everything about you is hot ... even your hands, … I love how your veins are visible on them. That hospital gown really brings out the color of your eyes by the way. Can we have sex? … No? What if I pay you?"

Hmm ... could he actually say that? Wait ... no! Of course not. Maybe he should just tell him he loved him ... but he couldn't find the strength to confess just like that! And it would be odd to have such feelings towards another boy. His not like ... that. He is the bravest in all of Konoha, the manliest and the strongest!

"Idon'tknowIdon'treallyremember,sleeptightIgottagobye" He finally blurted out, turned around and ran out of the room at the speed of light.

While walking home he realized it was probably not the smartest of moves … Sasuke might think he was trying to hide something. Maybe he should have told him he'd gotten jealous on Sasuke, not Sakura. That would have been reasonable. He's had a crush on Sakura before, so it would make sense.

But still, he would be lying. And most importantly, he would crush all hope of Sasuke eventually confessing his undying love for him. Maybe if he said that he had lost his mind, that he thought he was a robot with a mission … a mission to push that girl off of that hot boy! Or that he suddenly saw a spider on Sakura, and he just smashed it a tiny bit too hard. Hmm … that might work out.

He decided he would go for that explanation. He would probably show up at Sakura's birthday party on Thursday, he could tell him then.

Naruto sighed in relieve, everything would be all right.

* * *

"Hey Kiba! Tha'ss … my bott- bortle!" Naruto slurred out with half lidded, distant eyes. Kiba was trying to steal his alcohol! What a thief!

"Uh … it's actually mine, I bought it just before I came here." Kiba responded. The incredible drunk blonde wiggled his way up to Kiba, took hold of the bottle and began to pull on it while Kiba pulled it in the opposite direction.

"No! It … IS … MYYYY bottle! Give ... it ... to ... MEEE!" Naruto yelled out like he was in war and pulled at the bottle with all the strength he could muster.

"Fine … if you want it that bad ..." Kiba said and suddenly let go of the bottle. Naruto flew backwards, crashed down to the floor and managed to pour half of the liquid all over himself. 'Whatever, I'd rather lie down anyways.' He thought and brought the bottle up to his lips and gulped the remains down in a couple of seconds.

"Oh. My. God, Naruto … are you like, … the definition of trashy? How can you be drunk already?" Came a sudden cattish voice from somewhere around the room. Naruto frowned and turned in the direction of the voice, even though his vision was blurry - he knew it was Ino as soon as he took in her appearance. No one else would wear a crop tee with a short skirt in March.

"Shu- … shut up Ino, I'm … uh, actually totally sober, really!" He said and threw the empty bottle to the side, steadied himself up on his elbows and then tried to make the world come together. While focusing on a tiny black spot on the wall, he leaned forward and eventually managed to get up on his unsteady legs.

Or, he thought he did. As soon as he relaxed – gravitation suddenly pulled him in a different direction, the whole world tilted and he plunged towards the floor once more.

But he never met ground. Someone had grabbed hold of his arms and he crashed into a warm body instead. He knew who it was right away – none had a body as hard as that, but yet so soft. Naruto almost purred in the embrace.

"Watch out Sasuke, he might puke on you." Ino finished with a snort, then gave Naruto a glare before she turned her five and a half inch heels around and paced away. Her high ponytail swung from side to side as she walked. Kiba had settled onto the sofa with Shikamaru who mumbled something about a "great ass".

Naruto glanced up at his savior with dreamy eyes. "Thank *hic*- … you Sasuke, you sayyyved me …" He somehow managed to almost sing it out. He looked up at Sasuke like he was the meaning of life. The black-haired boy rolled his eyes and smirked before replying.

"You obviously need water." He said, and settled the clingy boy down on the sofa beside the two other boys, he then went into the kitchen to get a glass. Naruto turned to face Kiba who was sitting next to him; he had a new bottle in his hand, but it was kept far away from the drunken blonde.

"Sasuke's really … really … really nice … I think." He said, looking away in the distance as if in another world. His eyes then suddenly shut and his head fell forward before he pulled himself back up, looking like he was on the verge of passing out.

"Er … his okay I guess? a bit broody though … Are you sure you're alright?" Kiba asked with slight concern to his eyes. _Are you kidding? I'm more then all right. Sasuke just hugged me! _

"But … His eyes are just …" Naruto turned dreamy again. "They're just … so ... so …so-" But before he could finish his sentence – Sasuke, Ino and Sakura were back in the living room. The black haired boy reached a glass of water out to Naruto who took it. He noticed Sakura's excited look before she began to speak,

"Okay. Finally, it's time to play … 'Never have I ever'!" She started to giggle in anticipation before she continued. "For anyone who doesn't know the rules: Each person make up a statement that begins with 'Never have I ever', and anyone who's done it, has to take a sip of their drink! Except for Naruto, who's only allowed to drink water from now on." She finished and frowned at the drunken blonde.

The two girls then smiled, settled down on the floor and put their fashionable drinks on the small table that separated them from the boys on the sofa. Sasuke sat down on a couch at the side of the table, settling his beer down as well.

Naruto brought the glass of water up to his lips and took a slurp before the first statement could be heard.

"Never have I ever … tasted alcohol!" The pink haired girl began. Everyone around the table took a sip of their drink – Naruto gulped down more water.

The room suddenly grew awkwardly silent before Sakura nudged Ino in the side and gave her a look.

"Oh, right! My turn, hmm … Never have I ever …" She furrowed her brows and seemed to search through her brain. "Hmm … oh my god, this is so hard!" She looked frustrated and continued to ponder while everyone else grew impatient "I got one! Never have I ever done drugs!" She finally managed and the tension grew in the room. It took a few seconds before Shikamaru suddenly brought his beer up and took a big gulp.

Everyone stared at him with wide and shocked eyes (except for Naruto, who thought Sasuke was much more interesting to look at). Shikamaru noticed the stares and stated calmly,

"What can I say, life's troublesome." He then put his beer back down and looked around like it was an average everyday thing to do. He then continued with his own statement.

"Never have I ever … kissed a boy." Ino and Sakura quickly reached out to grab their drinks and giggled before they took a sip. Sasuke looked at Naruto with a frown and … was that a slight blush? He hesitantly brought the beer up to his lips. The blonde suddenly remembered and took a proud sip of water.

"I've kiiiiisseed Sasuukeeeee …" He began to sing out loudly but was interrupted as a ball of paper suddenly hit him in the face. He glanced at the other boy and almost shivered at the deathly glare that was directed in his way. Glances were then turned to Kiba as it was his turn to come up with a statement.

"Never have I ever … made love to a dog." He said and then reached a hand out calmly to grasp his beer and managed to bring it halfway up before freezing midair – noticing the disgusted and shocked looks he was recieving. He turned a bright shade of red before stuttering out,

"Tha- that's not a normal thing to do, ehm … right?" He asked, his gaze flickering across everyone at the table. Ino suddenly turned green and Sakura shook her head slowly, looking petrified.

"Right! Heh- … imagine if … if someone would do that … how gross! Right?" He stated weakly and brought his trembling hand back down to put his bottle of beer back on the table.

"Err … I was just, really thirsty! Heh …" He said and looked around franticly for reassurance. Naruto let out a gasp in relieve while Ino had to leave for a visit to the restroom. Sakura, Sasuke and Shikamaru stared down at the table, traumatized by the images that had just flashed through their minds. Everyone sat in silence; Kiba fiddled with his shirt nervously until Ino came back, looking exhausted.

Glances then turned to Naruto as it was his turn to come up with a statement. He had now consumed the entire glass of water, resulting in a slightly less foggy mind. _This is my chance to find out if Sasuke likes me!_ He pondered for a minute before he began,

"Never have I ever … been attracted to a blonde." He stated with a grin. Confused glances were shot his way before two people finally reached their hands out towards their drinks – Shikamaru and Sasuke. Butterflies began to swirl in his stomach and he tried his best to hide a smile.

But something disturbed him once he looked at Ino; she was blushing, at Sasuke! He crossed his arms and began pouting. _That was not meant for you. Sasuke's attracted to me! That must be why he drank … right? _But before he had a chance to think further about it, said boy began on the next statement.

"Never have I ever lied to my best friend." He said, and Naruto immediately froze at the words. _Is he … is he referring to me? _He decided to stare at nothing behind the two girls, trying his best to avoid Sasuke's gaze. The two girls frowned at each other and then both took a big gulp, finishing their drinks.

* * *

Naruto walked home alone from Sakura that night, wondering if he ever would be able to tell Sasuke about his feelings. The air was cool around him and it felt good against his intoxicated body. _Maybe one day ..._


	5. Confession

I don't own Naruto!

**A/N:** Thanks for the reviews I've been getting! As silly as it may sound I get really, really excited whenever I see that I've received another, so please continue to share your opinions :). Time for Naruto to confess! This is not the last chapter, by the way.

* * *

Naruto was standing right outside the Uchiha Mansion, more nervous than he had ever been before.

_If he rejects me I'll just kill have to kill myself, no big deal. No big deal at all._

He sighed before he opened the gate and stepped through. He walked up to the front door and knocked on it immediately, just to get it over with.

Sasuke looked as good as ever. His dark hair was slightly damp, probably from stepping out of the shower recently. A weak smell of cologne reached him as he tried to not stare awkwardly at the handsomeness of his face.

"Hey dobe, can I come in?" He asked and flashed a grin.

Sasuke nodded briefly and then turned back into his house. Naruto followed him through the corridors. The high ceiling and grand interior made him feel smaller for some reason.

Sasuke settled down by the table in a dining room Naruto hadn't even seen before. He pulled a chair out of his own and sat down at the opposed end before beginning to bite his nails.

"What are you doing here?" Sasuke asked after staring at the obviously nervous blonde for a few seconds.

"There's something I have to tell you," Naruto began, forcing his hands down in his lap. "Though I'm not sure how you will react."

Sasuke was beginning to look a bit nervous as well, frowning at the blonde slightly.

"What is it?"

"Uhm … I'm not sure how to say it."

"Just tell me."

"Fine," He began, staring at a bookshelf behind Sasuke. He counted the last seconds he had to live before opening his mouth. "I lo- … I love-" He managed, before something suddenly clicked in his mind. He couldn't die yet! He was just sixteen, for god's sake. He searched franticly between the titles written on the book straps in the shelf. 'All there is to know about cats' was the only title written bold enough for him to distinguish. "I love- … your cat."

The sound of a feather falling to the ground would have been heard in the silence that followed these words. Time passed by slowly, Naruto kept his gaze at the book until Sasuke finally spoke.

"What are you talking about? … I don't … I don't have a cat." He said, seeming confused. He frowned at Naruto who eventually frowned back.

"Oh? Uhm … I thought I- … thought I saw one … before." Naruto stuttered. Suddenly feeling like crying, he looked down at his hands in his lap.

"Right …" He heard Sasuke say, before the room went silent again.

Naruto cursed inwardly. How could he confess to him without actually confessing? Maybe he could tell someone else to do it, or pass him a note, or down a bottle of vodka to still his nerves.

"It was really beautiful." He whispered to no one in particular. "It had black fur … and really dark eyes …" Naruto continued to stare down into his lap, fingers clenching to the hem of his shirt and pulling at it.

"His eyes were very beautiful … I almost got lost in them." He frowned down into his lap and grasped the fabric tighter, his knuckles whitening.

"I don't know why, but I wish I hadn't liked his eyes so much. Maybe then I would have been able to stop staring all the time."

Yep. He would definitely have to down some vodka after this.

"He left once, and didn't come back for years." Naruto continued as he threaded the hem of his shirt through the spaces between his fingers. "I missed him a lot, during those years."

He finally looked up at Sasuke, who was staring back at him with shock and confusion written across his face.

"But it's okay … you're back now." Naruto said and smiled a little. "Uhm … The cat, I mean."

With Sasuke looking at him that way, he was reminded of the words he had just uttered, and he had to look away.

"I- …" Sasuke began, seeming unable to find any words.

"It's okay." Naruto said quickly. "Should I leave?"

"N-No … wait." He said, looking down at the table for a while before frowning at the blonde again.

" … You like me?" He asked, which annoyed Naruto a little bit. Hadn't he understood what he had just confessed?

"Uhm … I guess so."

"You guess so?"

Naruto squeezed his eyes shut, frustrated. Hadn't he noticed how hard it had been for him to say these words? Why couldn't he just throw him out already?

"Yes, I do! And I know its fucking weird, alright!" He spat before rising up from the chair and turning around, a last attempt of escaping those calculating eyes and the fast beating of his heart.

He stopped right at the threshold, grasping the doorframe tightly before turning around to stare at the helpless-looking Sasuke.

"I can't help that I feel this way. Those feelings are complicated you know … I don't know what to do." He said, feeling just as helpless and confused as Sasuke was looking at the moment.

"Stop looking at me like that, it's not my fault! I never chose to start liking you. Technically, it's your fault. So suit yourself." He finished before turning around again to find a way out of the god-forsaken labyrinth.

His walked his way through a few hallways before eventually reaching the front door. Just as he reached his hand out to turn the handle, someone grabbed his sleeve from behind.

"You can't just leave." Sasuke told him from behind. Naruto yanked his sleeve out of his grasp before he stared at him, intense emotion evident in his eyes.

"Yes I can. I'm sick of this."

"I'll come with you."

Naruto frowned, feeling disoriented. Thinking about it, Sasuke didn't really look as disgusted as he had expected.

"Fine." He said before he grabbed his thin jacket and slid it on. "I'm going to Ichiraku's."

Sasuke merely nodded, grabbed his own jacket and followed Naruto through the door. He jogged up to him until they were walking side by side.

"So, for how long have you been interested?" Sasuke asked, smirking slightly. But it looked forced. The blonde just glared back.

"You're just making fun of me." He said, trying to hide how frustrated he felt at not being taken seriously.

"No, I'm curious." Sasuke said and arched an eyebrow, looking sufficiently genuine.

Naruto blushed when he thought about it. Sasuke had always interested him, he just hadn't realized it was more then friendship until after he came back. It was easy to take things for granted, having them right in front of you.

Naruto ended up shrugging and eventually muttered "For a while …"

Sasuke just nodded, then turned to look forwards again. Naruto's gaze lingered at his face for a while, before he looked away as well.

He wanted to ask if his feeling were even remotely returned, if it was totally out of the question from him to keep his hopes up. But the fear of being rejected silenced him. He realized knowing nothing would be better then knowing there was no chance at all.

They were both quiet the remaining way to the ramen store. Once they got into the shop, Naruto couldn't help but smile when he noticed Teuchi's happy expression once he caught sight of him.

"Naruto! What a pleasant surprise." He said in greeting, and Naruto grinned in response.

"The usual, I suppose?" Teuchi asked the blonde, who nodded instantly and settled down at the counter. The shopkeeper's eyes then turned to Sasuke, who was currently frowning at the menu.

"Er, I think I'll pass." He said eventually, and then settled down on a chair next to his blonde friend.

Teuchi's smile had brightened his mood a little, and he was actually quite relieved to finally have told Sasuke about his feelings. At least he didn't seem like he was disgusted, or worse – thought of discontinuing their friendship.

A bowl of miso ramen was thrust in front of him. He grabbed his chopsticks and was just going to dig in, but he caught sight of Sasuke looking his way. When he diverted his gaze to his face, he noticed that he was smiling at him.

He looked genuinely happy, endearing. There wasn't any trace of the amused smirk he usually flashed him. Naruto felt butterflies beginning to flap around in his stomach; he didn't think he had ever seen Sasuke wearing such an expression.

"W-What?" He got out, not sure of where to look or what to do.

"I like you too."


End file.
